Improved folding seat and arm



FERNANDO J; DIBBLE, or CHICAGO, ILLiNoIs, AssIGNoR 'To HIMSELF AND MARSHALL HUNTER, 0F SAMEPLAGE.

Letters Patent No. 67,107, dated July 23, 1867.

IMPROVED FOLDING SEAT AND ARM.

'tlge Sulphate refont in in tlgese trtters @that nur making pmt nf tigt stmt TO. ALL WHOM I'I MAY CONCERN:

Be itknown that I, FERNANDO J. DIDDLE, ofthe city of Chicago, in the county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented a new andruseful improvement in Folding Seats and Arms; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same,-refercnce being had to the accompanying drawings and letters and figures marked thereon, which form a part of this specification, and in which-- Figure l represents a top or plan view of my improvement as applied to a school-desk.

Figure 2 an end elevation of the same.

Figure 3, a transverse vertical section Aat the line x in iig. 1.

Figure 4,.a side view of the arm D detached.

Figure 5, an edgev view of the same; and

Figure 6, a. view showing the method in which the standard or leg of the desk is fastened 'to the door.

The nature of my invention consists in a novel joint or hinge whereby a seat of a desk, settee, or other similar article is made folding; also, in an arm to be attached to a folding seat, and which will fold with the seat; and it further consists in a novel method of attaching said desk, settee. or other similar article of furniture to the floor, so that it can be readily vremoved when desired.

The same letters refer to the corresponding parts in the diiferent gures. f,

To enable those skilled in the art to manufacture and use my invention, I rwill proceed to describe the same with particularity.

The back of the desk is' attached to the standards B ,B in any suitable manner, but as I usually make the standards B B of metal, I cast flanges E, through which are screw-holes for fastening the back A thereto by means of screws. rIhe seat C is attached to the arms D D, by means of which it isjointed to the standards B B. This joint is constructed as follows: There is a projection or axle, F, which is rigidly attached to or forms a part of the arm D, and in the hub G, which is rigidly attached to or forms a part ,of the standard B, there is a recess or bea-ring in which said projection or axle closely fits so as toturn therein smoothly. There is a stop-pin, H, which is rigidly attached to the hub G, and passes through the slot I in the arm D, said slot being so arranged as to admit of the seat C being folded up against the back A of the desk or turned down into the horizontal position shown in figs. 1, 2, and 3. VWhen the seat is in the said horizontal position it is kept from turning lower down by the stop-pin H striking against the end of the slot I, as clearly shown in fig. 3. There is a piece of rubber or other suitable elastic material, J, arranged in a recess at `oncpendof the slot I in such a manner that the stop-pin H, as the seat is turned down to a horizontal position,

strikes against the rubber before striking the metal at the end of the slot I, by which the force upon thepin is made more gradual, and the noise which would otherwise occur is prevented. There are also pieces of rubber K K set into the face of the joint, which, together with the rubber J, present a rubber bearing to the joint and make it entirely noiseless'. The arm L has a hinge or joint attachment to the seat at N and to'the back at O. It also has a joint at M. The arm is so constructed and jointed that it assumes the position shown by the dotted lines in fig. 2 when the seat is folded back.

I have also a new and very simple method of fasteningl the desk or other similar article of furniture to the floor without the use of screws or other fastenings which have to be removed, and at the, same time when thev desks are removed from the room the floor is left, smooth and even. I bore holes P in the floor and sink into `the oor about such holes the metallic plates Q, which are secured by screws, and are just iiush with the floor. To the bottom of the legs or standards of the 'desk there is attached a pin, R, on the outside of which there is a notch which hooks under the plate Q and holds the desk in position. When it is desired to remove the desk or settee from the room, it is simply necessary to spring the legs so as to relieve thel hook on the pin R from the plate Q and raise the desk. The plates Q are put into the floor at diiferent places about the room, according to the size of the desk and the number it is desired to place in the room, so that there shall be one to each leg of each desk, and so arranged'relatively to each other as to make it necessary to spring lthe legs` to get the pins R in the plates Q, so that the notches therein operate as above mentioned.

I do not limit myself to attaching-the stop-pin H to the h'ub G and makingthe slot I in the arm D, for the operation would be the same'f I should attach the pin to the arm and make the slot in the hub G. So also with reference to the projection or axle F and the corresponding recess or bearing.

Having thus fully described tbe construction and operation 4of my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Potent, is- I v 1. I claim, in combination with afolding scat, C, a. folding arm, L, operating substantially as herein specified.

2. I claim the combination ot' the sea-t C, arm D, article F, slot I, and pin H, with the jointed arm L, arranged and operating' as and for the purposes specified.

3. I claim the combination of tbc folding arm L with the scat C, the arm D, article F, slot I, and pin H, and rubber J, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In combination with the last above, I claim the arrangement of the rubbers K K, or their equivalent, in

the manner and for the purpose described.

F. J. DIBBLE.

Witnesses.

M. E. HUNTER, L. L. GoBUBN. 

